Leon Benzaquen

Who is Leon Benzaquen?

Leon Benzaquen was a Jewish-Moroccan doctor who became the personal doctor for King Mohammed V of Morocco, and the first Jewish-Moroccan minister after Morocco received its independence in 1956, in its first independent kingdom and government. He was first appointed as telegraph and Communications minister and later minister of Health, a post occupied by Benzaquen until 1958.

When Morocco received its independence in 1956, the Jewish community held quite a few respectable political positions, including three parliamentarian seats and one cabinet post as mail and telegraph minister. Upon receiving its independence in 1956, the Sultan insisted upon the appointment of Leon Benzaquen, while the Jewish community was unable to reach a consensus on whom to send as a representative to the cabinet. coincident with his appointment Benzaquen expressed his favor opinion on the Jewish right to immigrate, pending it will not include pressure or propaganda. The problem at the time was the objection of various forces in Morocco to a mass Jewish immigration that will play into the hands of the Jewish Agency for Israel, however the right to immigrate was in fact recognized on an individual basis.